Like the Tide
by xXZero CoolXx
Summary: Will and the crew take a mission to retrieve Jack, only by promising Jones the safe return of his heart. Meanwhile, Will attempts to forget Jack through Barbossa. Things don't go as smoothly as he'd hoped. JACKxWILL and slight BarbossaxWill
1. Chapter 1

Poor Sevvie and Harry are being abandoned! I'm sorry pplz who like that story! lolz. I'm only playing, of course. I'm sure this Pirate slashyness is just a passing fancy! I am already working up a new chapter for Unexpected Grace. So don't fret, my lovelies! Anyway! On we trot! No time to loose! We must now kill off Elizabeth! This IS going to be Jack/Will, btw! It might just be long in coming!

WARNING: HUGE SPOILERS FOR PIRATES 2 AHEAD! YE BE WARNED! AND SLASH! LOTS OF YUMMY male on male action! If ye be squeamish, I suggest you leave now!

Disclaimer: If I owned them, Elizabeth would be DEAD, Norrington would be a pirate, and Jack and Will would be completely smitten with one-another.

It was night time, and naught two days after they had set sail with Captain Barbossa on The Dreaming Hangman, a ship that Will knew virtually nothing about, with blood red sails and a speed that could nearly match the Pearl's.

It had taken a mighty long time for Will to pluck up the courage to confront Elizabeth about the kiss before Jack went down with The Pearl, and when he did, it did not end well.

Thankfully, most of the crew was asleep, except for Gibbs who decided to mind his own on the other side of the ship. 30 minutes and much screaming, and a bright red handprint on his cheek later, Elizabeth stormed off to her quarters (being the only female, she had her own small cabin), and left Will standing on deck rubbing his cheek and staring down at the pitch-black waters of the Caribbean.

"Well, that didn't go TOO badly..." Will said sarcastically to himself.

"I beg to differ, young Mr. Turner." Came the unmistakable voice of Captain Barbossa from behind him, and it was all Will could do not to jump 5 feet in the air.

"Sir!" Will spun around and stared at the newly reincarnated captain in shock. Had he heard the whole thing?

"Don't fret, Mr. Turner. These old eyes have seen many a rows, and been in the middle of most of them!" Barbossa laughed slightly and came up beside Will, leaning on the railing and staring out at the open waters.

Will turned around and leaned on the railing again, slightly stiff, still not being completely comfortable next to the man who had tried to murder him on more than one occasion.

"So. Miss Swann as become infatuated with Jack, has she?" Barbossa said, his voice taking on a casual ease that Will had never heard there before.

"Yes..." Will mumbled, for lack of anything better to say.

"She's not the first, lad. She'll get over it quickly enough. Jack has a way of...putting a spell over most ladies. And a mighty lot of men as well. They all snap out of it eventually, though." Barbossa said and Will couldn't help but get the feeling that this wasn't exactly what Barbossa was trying to get at.

"I know." He answered anyway.

"Ye do, do ye? So why are ye so upset? Is it because she kissed him? Or is it because HE kissed her?" Barbossa asked and Will nearly choked.

"Sir?" He asked, hoping Barbossa wasn't getting at what he thought he was.

"Ah, young Mr. Turner. I can see it in yer eyes. It is not Miss Swann you're upset with. It's Jack. You, like so many before you, have been fooled by Jack's graceful eloquence, daring, and charm." Barbossa said and Will's suspicions were confirmed. "Ah, don't worry Turner. We be pirates. We don't judge by what sex ye prefer. You're safe. But I'm afraid that you're running a fools errand. Ye won't capture Jack's heart, any more than Miss Swann will."

"Why?" Will choked, seeing no reason to deny it any longer. The quiver in his body and the look in his eyes said it all.

"Because, Jack is like the sea. Untamable. He blows wherever the wind takes him. He's not one to settle down, and I don't think the word "love" is anywhere in his vocabulary. He's a free spirit, Jack is. Following the wind and tide, never staying put longer 'n is necessary." Barbossa had almost a wistful look on his face through this little speech, almost as if he wished he could have that type of freedom. Or maybe tame it. Will didn't know.

"I understand..." Will said, bowing his head.

Barbossa clapped him on the shoulder and gave a hearty laugh. "C'mon lad! Ye need a stiff drink!" And with that, he led Will down to his quarters where they shared a bottle of the Caribbean's finest rum.

Will wondered briefly if maybe he had been stabbed in the head. He opened his eyes and the quickly closed them again.

No. Definitely not. He'd be dead. By the spinning of his head and the throb in his brain, he was definitely not dead. Unfortunately. Probably shouldn't have had so much to drink last night.

How DID he get here? He remembered being in Captain Barbossa's quarters, then he woke up and was back in the crew's cabin. Alone. Where was everyone?

Shite! He'd over slepped!

Will jumped up quickly and threw on his boots, neglecting a shirt, and dashing up on deck, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing and the spinning.

He REALLY could not hold his rum.

Dashing about in the scorching sunlight, he began to do the best he could in helping the crew with the ship. It WAS difficult, however, seeing as his vision kept swimming, his head was still throbbing, and he new shite about running a ship.

"MR. TURNER!" Will heard his name barked and flinched. Oops. "Report to the helm at once!"

Will stumbled to the helm of the ship groggily, his vision going more black than swimming.

"WHAT do ye think yer doin' up here in this condition? You'll be the death of me crew yet! Report to my quarters IMMIDIATELY!" Barbossa snapped and Will all but ran to the Captain's Quarters, where he stood outside the door until Barbossa came and unlocked it (ye can NEVER trust a pirate!), nearly shoving Will inside and shutting the door behind them.

"Wha's in yer head boy? Ye can't be runnin about a ship, not knowing what you're doin, and havin a hefty hangover at that!" Barbossa snapped, rummaging around in his many compartments, clinking bottles and rustling papers.

A bottle was shoved under Will's nose and he was nearly sick at the smell. Somewhere between week-old vomit and year-old eggs.

"Drink it. The gypsy gave it to me. It will help." Barbossa said in a much kinder voice than Will would have ever thought possible.

Not thinking properly, Will took a deep swig of the contents and thought he might heave it all back up and over the floor. Thankfully, nothing of the sort transpired.

Barbossa took the bottle from him and hid it somewhere in the back of a cupboard.

It was a peculiar sensation. It felt as if fire were winding its way through his veins and into his brain, then cooling to the point of freezing. But before Will could explore the sensations more, the feelings were gone, along with his blurred vision, throbbing head, and foggy mind.

Will relaxed for the first time in the man's presence and sighed, slouching in the chair he was currently occupying. "Thank you." He said, closing his eyes and sighing once again in relief.

"Ye feeling better?" Barbossa asked and Will's eyes snapped open. WHY was the man being so nice? Will had expected hatred and coldness, not this warm, almost-caring person who was kneeling in front of him.

Will nodded deftly and Barbossa stood up, smiling kindly.

All of a sudden, the larger man's demeanor changed entirely and he was back to stern and uncaring. "Then what are ye still sittin around here for?" He barked, his voice booming in Will's head, making Will jump about a foot off his chair. "On deck ye scallywag! Move!"

Will hopped too as fast as humanly possible and scampered on deck. Barbossa laughed heartily when the boy was out of site. "Ye've lots ter learn, young Mr. Turner. Lots ter learn indeed." He mumbled, locking his cabin doors and following Will up top. It was going to be a long day.

Over the next two weeks, Will learned many things. He learned how a ship ran, and how to work her. He learned how to tie all sorts of knots, and how to secure the sails, and how to keep his footing while winding his way through the sails and ropes above deck.

He also learned much about the crew. They helped out with his teachings, and they helped him to learn to handle his Rum better, how to drink it so he didn't get quite-so-drunk, quite-so-fast. The crew seemed to like him, and took his ignorance in sailing, drinking, and pirating rather well. For this he was extremely grateful.

But most of his lessons came from Barbossa himself. He would take 9 hours out of every day to teach Will all he could about navigating, and pirating, and other such things. Will learned that Barbossa wasn't as bad as he first thought. He was stern, true enough. He liked his ship to be run an exact way, and only that way. He didn't tolerate mistakes from anyone but Will, seeing as Will was the only one not to know how to sail properly. And even with Will, his tolerance only went so far.

But he was a good man. He was fair to everyone, and he seemed to have everyone's best interests at heart. He had his kind moments, and understood Will to a point that was almost frightening. He rewarded Will for his fast learning (and make no mistake, Will was a VERY fast learner.) by treating him to a nice glass of rum, or maybe just sitting up on deck with him while the crew slept, telling him tales of his adventures aboard The Pearl. He never once questioned Will about Jack, and Will would be forever grateful towards him for that. Will seemed to be grateful for a lot of things recently.

Will avoided Elizabeth extremely well. This wasn't that much of a feat, seeing as she NEVER came out of her cabin. Ever. Her meals were brought down to her every morning and every night and left in front of her door. It was all fine with everyone else aboard the ship, however, as Will learned that not many of them favored young Miss Swann.

All-in-all things were going fairly well. Until a night about 3 weeks in, when Will was woken from his nearly-peaceful sleep by Barbossa screaming for all hands to be on deck immediately.

Will scrambled into his boots and shirt, dashing up deck before most of the others had picked themselves up off the floor where they had fallen when awoken.

His heart seemed to stop in his chest when he recognized the ship pursuing them. "Davy Jones." He whispered, all color draining form his face.

"Aye, William. That be Davy Jones, no doubt come to collect you." Barbossa said, staring at the ship along with Will.

Will looked at Barbossa fearfully.

"Don't ye worry, young William. I won't let them have ye. I'd never trade a member of my crew, specially not one as good as you." Barbossa said and Will beamed with pride.

At that moment, the entire crew burst topside, stopping immediately in their tracks and staring in shock and fear at the ship that was quickly approaching.

Barbossa looked around at them all, and stood up straighter. "WELL? WHAT ARE YE ALL WAITING FOR? COME ABOUT! MOVE! I WANT TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT! RUN OUT THE AFT CANNONS!" Barbossa bellowed and everyone sprung into action.

"And so the chase is on." Gibbs mumbled from beside him, and Will grimaced. "Come, Mr. Turner. Let's see what we've taught ye." Gibbs said, and he and Will dashed off to help the crew.

Will felt a hand clasp his shoulder and looked up into the grim face of Captain Barbossa. "I'm afraid, William, that the winds are not with us. We cannot outrun them. We need a new plan."

Will looked thoughtful for a moment, before he set his jaw and stood up tall.

"I'll bargain. We can't give up. We MUST bring Jack back!"

"What do you expect to bargain WITH, Will? Your soul? I can't let you do that. I need you!" Barbossa said, the closest to panic that Will had ever seen him.

Will decided to examine those words more closely later on.

"I know who has his heart. And I know how to get it back. Elizabeth and I are the only living beings that he can get to that know how to get him his heart back." Will said and Barbossa's face brightened.

"Oh William! Ye are a brilliant mind!" He said, laughing excitedly and smacking him on the back.

"AVAST! Run up the white flag and bring in the cannons. Cease all fire! Secure the sails!" Barbossa yelled and everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

"NOW!"

Everyone began to scamper across the ship, hurrying to obey his orders. He really was a wonderful captain.

It was amazing how fast Davy Jone's ship caught up to them, and how fast each of them was at the point of a sword. Will was knelt on the ground, a pistol to his head, looking down.

He heard the stomp of boots and it wasn't long before he was staring at said boots. He looked up slowly, taking in his shiny black boots, and crisp black pants. And his sun-tanned hands.

Wait-hands? Will's eyes shot back to the end of Davy Jone's arms and, sure enough, attached were two normal, tan human hands. And didn't he have a peg leg before?

Will looked up into the sharp onyx eyes of Davy Jones and was shocked beyond belief to see that Davy Jones was ALMOST human. He still had a few tentacles waving here and there, and his skin was tinted green in the moonlight. But he now had long blonde hair and critter-less clothes. He looked considerably younger as well.

"You have something that belongs to me, Mr. Turner." He hissed and Will was snapped out of his daze.

"No, I don't. But I know how to get it." Will said, smirking.

Davy Jones scowled. "And I don't suppose ye'd be givin it ter me fer free, would ye?"

Will's grin widened. "Of course not! That wouldn't be very pirate-like of me, now would it?" He asked, his eyes glinting.

Jones considered him for a moment, and then said, "And what will ye be wanting in return, young Turner? I suppose you want Jack Sparrow back." He said, and it wasn't really a question.

"I want you not to harm Barbossa, OR his crew. The ship is to be left un-harmed and un-pillaged! And I want my father to go free." Will said sternly, daring him to say no.

"Or, you could just tell me where it is and Miss Swann shall not be harmed." Jones said, putting two fingers into his mouth and whistling.

Two men dragged a thrashing and screaming Elizabeth up from below deck, and Will's eyes widened. She may no longer be his lover, but she was still his friend. Will schooled his features to a mask of indifference. It would not do to have Jones see his weakness.

"If you kill her, I tell you nothing." Will said and Jones' eyes glinted menacingly.

"Fine." Jones boomed, grabbing a pistol out of his belt and shoving it into Will's temple. "Tell me, or I kill YOU."

Will heard a scuffling behind him and saw Jones' eyes flicker towards the commotion. Will knew that it was probably one of the crew members trying to escape.

A bitter laugh exited Will's lips and he placed the smirk back on his face. "Where do you think that will get you? You kill me; the location of your heart dies with me. And any chances you have of getting it back." Will laughed again and the scuffling behind him stopped.

Davy Jones scoffed and turned his head sharply to the side, lowering his weapon slightly.

"Fine." Jones said, turning back to meet Will's eyes. "I'll leave the crew alone, and your father can go free. In exchange, you have to get me what is mine." He said, obviously trying desperately not to just blow off Will's head anyway.

"And, you have to help us get Jack back." Will said, hoping he didn't sound too desperate.

"That was NOT part of the accord!" Jones seethed.

"We never actually AGREED on anything. So I can change it if I wish. And I want Jack back. If you're not going to help us, at least leave us alone until we get him!" Will said, knowing Jones would agree. He had to agree.

"Fine. I will leave your crew alone until they get their deer Jack back." Jones said and Will recognized the glint in his eyes as one of self-confidence. And sure enough. "But you, Mr. Turner. You come with me and serve on my ship until I get what is mine." He said and Will's heart sank.

"NO!" Came a scream from behind them and Will heard two slices and two thuds. He whipped his head around in time to see Barbossa striding angrily up to them, his sword drawn and dripping blood. "Ye can NOT have him. I will not have it! He stays with me, or ye have NO accord!" Barbossa stomped up to them and laid a hand firmly on Will's shoulder.

Davy Jones seemed to consider this. He knew that he would not get his heart back until Turner got Sparrow back. And he now knew that this man would not retrieve Sparrow unless he had Turner.

"If you want to take anybody, take that woman. Lord on'y knows she en't no help around this 'ere ship! Only eats all our proper food!" Barbossa said, motioning to Elizabeth who stared at him in disbelief. The crew all cheered as best they could, being held down by Jones' men.

"Fine. Me crew could use some entertainment, anyway." he leered and it was his crew's turn to cheer.

"She is not to be harmed!" Will snapped and everyone looked at him. Some disbelieving, some angry, and some just plain shocked. Will looked down, slightly saddened. "I don't think Jack will be too happy if Liz is harmed..." He mumbled.

"Alright, Lad. Me crew shall not harm dear Elizabeth." Jones said and his crew groaned. "Quiet!" He snapped and they all stopped. "Mr. Turner. Ye all are to be left unharmed and I shall leave ye be about my possessions until you have Jack back. Do we have an accord?" He asked, holding out his hand. Will didn't take the proffered hand, however.

"And my father is dropped off at Tortuga, alive, armed, and free of his debt to you." Will said, and Jones' face fell. He was obviously hoping Will had forgotten that part.

"Oh fine!" He barked "Your father will be left alive and armed in Tortuga, free of his debt to me. NOW do we have an accord?" He asked, thrusting out his hand, but Will had one more thing to add.

"Within this week." he said and Jones growled.

"Aye, within this week. Accord?" He asked and felt that if he had to repeat it one more time, he really WOULD blow off the boy's head. Will smiled slightly and took his hand, shaking it firmly.

"Aye, we have an accord." Will said and Jones grinned.

"Alright boys! Take the lass and get back to the Flying Dutchman! Now!" Jones yelped and all his men scampered to their own ship, dragging a kicking and thrashing Elizabeth along with them.

"Until we meet again, Mr. Turner." Jones said, tipping his hat and disappearing, along with his ship.

The whole crew cheered loudly when they were out of sight, but Will sat firmly planted on the ground, Barbossa's hand still attached in a death-lock to his shoulder.

"Alright everyone! Back to work! Mr. Gibbs! Set sail in a southwest direction!" Barbossa barked and everyone scurried to do their jobs.

"Mr. Turner, come with me." Barbossa said, pulling Will almost-gently to his feet.

Will followed obediently into Barbossa's cabin, where he shut and locked the door, proceeding to guide Will to his own chair behind the desk and supplying him with a mug of Rum.

Will looked disdainfully down at the amber liquid in the cup, before throwing his head back and taking a deep swig. The burning sensation was almost pleasurable, and he was starting to see why Jack liked rum as much as he did.

"Will..." Barbossa said gently and Will looked up to see Barbossa looking at him from across the desk with something akin to worry etched onto his face. "I 'ope ye en't cross with me, Will. But I couldn't afford to trade one of th' crew..." Barbossa said and Will wondered if this was the same man who he saw ordering the crew around. Merciless is what you'd describe him as. Of course, Will often wondered this. Perhaps Barbossa had some sort of split personality disorder?

"Why didn't you trade me?" Will asked, looking into Barbossa's deep brown eyes. "Before, you said that you needed me. What did you mean by that?" Will asked, wondering if he really wanted to know the answer.

Barbossa sighed, dropping his eyes. "I meant exactly what I said. I need you, Will Turner. You draw me to ye more n' any treasure." Barbossa moved around the desk to kneel in front of Will who looked at him in disbelief.

"I want to touch you..." Barbossa said, running his knuckles softly down Will's cheek and along his jaw. "I want you to touch me, and love me. I want to erase Jack Sparrow from your mind." Barbossa said, moving ever closer to Will's lips. "I want to kiss you..." He said, his warm breath ghosting over Will's lips, making him shudder.

Will pushed him back gently, but held him at arms length so he wouldn't back away completely. He studied the man's face. Hector J. Barbossa was not by any means an overly-attractive man. He looked much older than he was (only being about 23 years Will's senior.) and his teeth weren't perfect...more along the opposite lines. But still, Will could not deny some sort of attraction to the man. And he couldn't help bun consider what the man was offering.

Being a pirate, this was very out of character for him. Proclaiming his love, being sentimental. Will wondered for a split second if this was some joke. But looking into the man's eyes, he realized it wasn't. What the man was offering was real. And perhaps he could help him forget Jack. Perhaps what attraction Will felt for this man COULD turn to love?

Barbossa watched as Will continued to search his face. He was about to give up hope, when he felt himself being pulled back forward.

"I won't promise anything. But I'll give it a chance..." Will said quietly, his lips brushing against Barbossa's as he spoke.

Will didn't get the chance to say anything else, as Barbossa's lips gently descended upon his own for a sweet, chaste, very un-pirate-like kiss. "S'all I ask, William. S'all I ask." he said when he'd pulled back, smiling a very genuine smile.

Will smiled gently at him as Barbossa ran his hand up his neck, to come around back and pull him in for another kiss, this one longer and less chaste than the first.

There came a knock at the door, but they chose to ignore it.

"Captain Barbossa, sir! A storm is quick approaching and we need you up top!" came the unmistakable titter of Pintel, followed by Ragetti echoing his last few words.

Barbossa cursed and stood, pulling Will up with him. "C'mon William. The crew needs us." He said and he and Will dashed up top.

Will fell into his relationship with Hector nicely over the next month. They did not do more than kissing and resting in each other's arms, as Will was not ready for anything else yet. He still had not forgotten Jack. But, there was hope. Instead of Jack's face being the first and only to enter Will's mind when he closed his eyes, Hector and Jack showed up together, though Jack's features were admittedly sharper. Still. It was progress.

Will stood on deck again, all the crew asleep. Even Gibbs. He was on watch tonight. He stood with his arms folded over the railing, staring out into the open waters, contemplating how ridiculous this was. Jack was dead. How were they going to get him back? How did he know that this was not just some stupid dream, or ploy?

Because he trusted Hector J. Barbossa. He really did trust him. With his life, and even with at least a quarter of his heart.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Will felt a pair of strong arms envelope him, and an equally strong body press against his back. "What's botherin' ye, William?" Asked the familiar, somewhat scratchy voice in his ear.

Will leaned back into the strong body behind him and sighed, placing his hands on Hector's arms. "Nothing of immediate concern..." Will mumbled, turning around in the larger man's arms and burying his face in his chest.

Hector tucked a finger under Will's chin and turned him up to face him. "Will..." He said, but before he could say anything else, Will's arms were around his neck and their lips were locked.

Hector felt Will's tongue slide past his lips, and he was so shocked that it took him a moment to respond. Will had never gone this far before. Not that he wasn't pleased.

Hector slid his tongue along Will's and felt soft tremors go through Will's body. Wrapping his arms tighter around Will, he pushed him back against the railing, his body pressed firmly against the smaller one in his arms.

Will ground his hips into Hector's and Hector groaned. After a whole damn month of waiting for Will to be ready for him, this was it. Finally.

Hector ran his hands along Will's body and earned himself an almost desperate mewl. Unbuttoning Will's shirt, he ran his hands along the smooth, tan flesh that lie underneath.

Will was beginning to grind harder and more against him and it was driving him insane!

"Jack!" Will whispered, and Barbossa almost didn't catch it. Almost.

BOOM!

Hector was jerked backwards, and Will quickly followed, landing square on top of him. Both their chests were heaving, and their faces were flushed.

"What the hell was that?" Will asked, panting slightly and not making any motion to move off of Hector.

"Will! What in all the hells is-" the whole crew stopped in their tracks, staring down at Will and Hector's position, at their flushed faces and Will's disheveled appearance.

"Oh...ah...ahem. We...ah...din't mean ter...interrupt an'thin." One of the crew members Will didn't really know said, and Will blushed deeply, pulling up and off of his Captain.

Barbossa stood up and cleared his throat, clearly trying not to appear embarrassed. "Alright men. Never mind what you've just seen. That was a mighty shake that was, and William and meself din't cause it." He walked up to the bow of the ship and reached out. His hand seemed to hit something solid.

Will walked over next to him and copied his motions, gasping as his hand hit something solid, cold, and as clear as glass.

"Lads, this is where we leave the sea." Captain Barbossa said, pulling a silver bottle out of his coat and walking over to the great wheel of the ship. "Brace yerselves, lads." he said and everyone dashed to their lifelines, securing them around their waists just in time for Barbossa to tip the flask over the wheel. A liquid as red as their sails slipped free, pouring on the wheel and seeming to soak in.

"Will! Get o'er 'ere! Now!" Barbossa barked and Will obediently ran to him. The moment he reached him, he was pulled up to the man, and pushed between Barbossa and the wheel, an arm on either side of him, grasping a knob.

Will thought then that maybe this was all a dream. Yes. It had to be a dream. For in real life, ships did not simply lift out of the water and start soaring into the sky. Oh no, this did NOT happen in real life. In real life, he would be married to Elizabeth Swann, sitting prim and proper as a peacock in an elegant and suffocating sitting room while she chatted endlessly about her plans for the next month. Not pressed between his PIRATE, MALE lover and the wheel of a ship that was flying off into the sunrise.

The ride was smooth, and Will wondered why the men were clinging for dear life to their lifelines, and Barbossa was tightening his hold on him. His confusion lasted only a minute, however, as the ship suddenly jerked to a stop. Will felt an amazing amount of pressure building around them, and a positively suffocating silence pressed in on his ears. And then he was jerked backwards, hard, against Barbossa and the ship shot off at a speed faster than a bullet.

Will's eyes went wide, and he threw his hands out to the wheel. Though he needn't try to secure himself. Barbossa was pressing against him as hard as possible, his knuckles white on the wheel, keeping them both firmly in place.

A blur of blues and whites and reds and any other color Will could think of was surrounding the ship, and they were moving so fast, he was surprised his flesh wasn't being ripped off of his bones.

This didn't continue for more than 5 minutes, and they were jerked to a sudden stop. If Barbossa wasn't pressed so tightly behind him, he would have slammed into the wheel, effectively breaking some of his ribs. As it were, he was safe and he heard most of the crew drop to the ground roughly.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Shaking and breathing heavily, Barbossa pried his hands off the wheel and gave the boy room to breathe. That was worse than he'd remembered. He composed himself quickly though, making sure Will was alright, and then whistling for the grumbling crew's attention.

"Is everyone alive?" He asked to affirmative murmurs from half of the crew. The rest were still trying to pry themselves off the ground. "Alright lads. Be on yer guard. Ye 'en't in th' land 'o th' livin' no more." He said and everyone looked at him, only slightly surprised.

All except for Ragetti and Pintel, who were both, moving along the deck of the ship, no doubt looking for Ragetti's wooden eye.

Will moved to the side of the ship, looking over the edge and gasping. Hector didn't need to look. He knew what the boy was seeing. Endless blackness. He had seen it when he'd first been shot and killed, and damn if it hadn't scared him out of his wits.

Everyone moved up beside Will to see what he was seeing and there was a collective gasp. "Alright lads. Get away from th' edge! There be creatures about that'll pull you over soon'as lookin at ya." Hector said and everyone dashed to the center of the ship.

"S'I said before, be on yer guard. Jack'll be in th' very center of th' place. It be takin us but two hours to reach him. Tha's more 'n 'nough time fer gettin' attacked, rest assured." he saw some of the crew look around nervously and almost chuckled. "There en't much ye can do 'ere. The ship will be automatically lead to th' center. Just stay up top and avoid th' sides. Try not ter draw attention to yerselves, savvy?" He asked to a collective, but quiet, "AYE."

Will sat next to Hector's feet on the ground staring up at the would-be sky. "So...Bizarre..." He mumbled, eyeing the swirling black shadows with blood red eyes that were swimming about the ship. "What are they?" He asked and Barbossa sighed.

"They be pirates, lad. Most of 'em. Some be mutineers and murdering whores. Betrayers. All of 'em committed some crime against humanity. Betrayin their crew, or captain. Killin' someone or somethin' that din't deserve it..." He looked up at the mass of shadows. "Cursed, they are. And a terrible existence. I was one me'self before th' gypsy called me back to th' livin'. No thoughts or feelings. Just...black."

Will studied his face, and the emotions lingering there. Fear. Sadness. And something akin to regret.

"Hector...about earlier. I didn't mean-" Will started, but Hector cute him off.

"I understand, William. There be no need to explain. I'd hoped to make you love me, instead of him. I hadn't realized ye'd fallen so deeply..."


	2. Chapter 2

_**OK people. Sorry it took so long to update! I've just been overwhelmed with homework and the like. Stupid honors classes. I really with I would have stuck with regular English o.O Anyway. Enjoy and review. I have the next chapter in the works XD Hopefully it should be out before Thanksgiving. **_

"Hector...I DO love you. I really do. But...Jack...I can't explain it. I love him. More than anything. More than I ever thought I loved Elizabeth...more than the sea, and more than being a blacksmith. I want to tell you that I can get over him easily. That I know you can make me forget about him, if you just give it awhile longer..." At this, Will stood and placed himself directly in front of Hector.

"But I can't promise that. You've put a dent in my love for him. And I now know that it IS possible for me to live without him. For me to love someone else. I can't promise that if you kiss me, embrace me, I'll forget about Jack. But I can promise you that, if only you'll give me a chance, I'll try." Will placed his hand on Hector's cheek, running his thumb lightly across it.

"Please...just...give me another chance?"

Hector seemed to consider this, studying Will's face. The sincerity in his eyes. The love there. Though he wasn't sure if it was for him, or Jack. There was no lie in the boy's face, however. What he said was true. Though he may not love him half so much as Jack, he still loved him. And that was something. That was something Hector could deal with. For now.

"Aye, William." Was all he said, before leaning down and kissing Will chastely on his lips.

"Captain...er...Captain? I dun't mean ter interrupt, but somethin' strange is goin' on with them shadowy critters..." Will and Barbossa turned to look at the man who was standing just behind them, looking at them with a slightly open mouth, and wide eyes.

Barbossa took a moment to snap to, but when he did, he looked up at the shadows and, indeed, they were growing more fidgety, gliding up to one-another and seeming to whisper, before swirling more urgently about the ship.

"Ready yerselves, lads! We're here!" Barbossa shouted to the crew below and they all rushed about, grabbing swords and pistols, and ammunition. And rum.

Will wondered briefly what EXACTLY the use of rum was, before his sword, dagger, and pistol were shoved into his hands and Gibbs was in front of him, a stern expression gracing his features.

"Get yer head outa th' clouds, boy! Ye need ter be on yer feet!" He said, the closest to yelling at Will that he had ever come.

Will quickly secured his weapons, trying not to look too apprehensive. What if Jack had already been judged? What if...what if he was one of the red-eyed shapes swirling about their ship, tiny gasps and screeches emitting from their forms, growing louder with the closer they got to...wherever they were headed? Will didn't think he could handle that...

"Gibbs, Cotton, Rigetti, and Pintel! You lot come with me and Will to find Jack. The rest o' you. Stay here and guard the ship! Don't let yer guard down, ever for a breath of a second! These creatures, they be unpredictable. No tellin' when they'll decide to attack..." He said the last part, almost too low for everyone to hear. Most of them caught it, however, and whispered it to the ones that hadn't. Will thought their eyes were going to pop out of their heads.

So far, it really wasn't as terrible as Will had expected. They "docked" at a small island with sand that's color varied from purples to yellows. It seemed to be rocking, much as a ship did, but that was no problem for anyone.

A few of the shadows were gathered on here, though they were admittedly more shapely and lively, dashing back and forth on what could be described as legs, and whispering loudly to one-another. Almost excitedly.

Hector explains, though he needn't. Obviously, these are recently damned men. Or women. It was hard to tell. The point was, they were only recently judged, and hadn't submitted to being the lifeless, emotionless creatures that were swirling about the black sea behind them.

They didn't have to walk long, before they saw the center of the island. It was a lot less grand than Will had expected.

There were two or three dead palm trees, a very large-and by large, he meant REALLY large. At LEAST the size of forty men. It was a wonder to Will how it still stood.-straight-backed chair that was plain and black, and a large que of the recently deceased leading up to it. Will took a brief glance at one of these people and decided it was best not to look at any of the rest of them. The man in question had no head. Literally. It was simply a nasty bloody stump with a few shards of glass poking out here and there. Will tried not to vomit.

Will heard the dagger whistling at him before he saw it. He bent backwards quickly, just before it lodged itself into his head, effectively dodging it. And that's when all hell broke loose.(no pun intended)

Within seconds, all the crew had their swords out and fists and blades and bullets were flying in every direction. It seemed, if you got too close to the center, the locals didn't take very kindly to you.

Will dodged another dagger, and blocked someone's-he wasn't sure whose-sword. He stabbed an already dead man, and shot two others. Fighting his way to what he hoped was the center, he passed none of his shipmates. He was only slightly worried. They could all take care of themselves, of course. Then again, all their opponents were already dead.

'Well THIS is familiar!' Will thought exasperated as a man he'd shot twice in the head and stabbed once through the heart came right back at him.

It was as the man, ONCE AGAIN, fell to the ground that Will caught his first glance of the occupant of the giant chair in the center. Despite the fact that he was talking animatedly to no one in particular, and waving his hands about in his usual drunken fashion, Will could tell he was frightened. Immeasurably so.

Will forgot all around him, and forgot about Elizabeth, and about Hector, and about why he was trying to forget Jack. He forgot everything and he dashed to the center, dodging swords and bullets and fists and everything else as he did so. Jack was still there. He hadn't been judged and Will could still save him.

"Jack!" Will yelled when he had cleared the brawling undead. "JACK!" He yelled louder and Jack stopped talking to whoever or whatever he was talking to and stared in shock at Will running to him.

"Will?" Jack asked, and Will quickened his pace. Jack stood and started running at Will, nearly losing his footing on more than one occasion. They met soon after, Will out of breath and Jack grinning the most relieved grin Will had ever seen.

"Will! I can't even BEGIN to explain how happy I am to see you, mate!" So saying, Jack grabbed Will and pulled him in for a crushing and desperate hug.

Suddenly, Jack pushed Will back, examining his body and face skeptically. Will blushed. "Um...Jack?" He asked and Jack snapped his face up to look at him. "Ye en't dead, are ya?" He asked and Will laughed.

"No, Jack! We've come to save you!" Will pointed out the obvious and Jack hugged him again.

"Oh thank th' lord, Will!" He mumbled, almost crushing Will in his strong embrace. Will didn't mind, of course. He was in ecstacy. His love. His drug. His life, was holding him tightly, whispering his gratitude softly into Will's own ear.

All too suddenly, the contact was gone and Jack was staring at Will's face with an odd expression. "What do ya mean, 'We'?" he asked. Exactly at that moment, there was a large clutter and a few yells, and Rigetti, Pintel, Barbossa, Cotton, and Gibbs all came dashing out of the fight, swords drawn and bloody, and Pintel supporting a right shiner on his left eye. Other than that, though, they all seemed relatively un-harmed.

"Will!" Barbossa yelled, though he could barely be heard over everyone else's chorus of "JACK!" Even Cotton's parrot yelled it.

They all came rushing forward, and the fighting behind them stopped. Not that any of them noticed. Jack was ripped away from Will by the crew, and Will was enveloped in a strong hug from Hector. Everything started flooding back, then. His "relationship", Elizabeth, Jack...Elizabeth and Jack...

"Ye en't hurt, are ya?" Hector mumbled in his ear and Will smiled into his chest.

"No. I'm fine." He said, his response muffled due to his face being pressed into Hector's front.

"Oi! Captain, Will! Hey! Somethin' not right is goin' on with them dead folk!" Rigetti yelled at them, and, for the first time, Will and Hector realized the lack of gun shots, and yelling, and swords clashing.

Thoroughly dreading what they would see when they looked, they pulled apart and slowly turned to look behind them. The recently deceased were all parting, making a large path leading in the direction of the ship.

"I don't like this." Will whispered and Hector nodded his agreement.

"Well! Looks ter me like they've decided we've won! So! Lets trot on back the th' ship before they decide to un-decide their earlier decision, savvy?" Jack said, now right behind Will and Hector, his arm snaking along Will's shoulders.

"Jack, I don't think-" Will began, but was cut off by a tremendous thud and a shaking of the ground.

Not even turning to look behind them, they all began dashing down the path, the shaking and booming following them at a more hurried pace. Something was following them. Something big. And none of them were about to look and see what.

They made it to the ship in record time, and Barbossa screamed at everyone to secure their lifelines, as he himself dashed to the helm and ripped another bottle out of his jacket-this time gold- and poured it over the wheel.

The crew barely had time to secure their lifelines before they shot off, descending down a lot quicker than they went up, not passing through the land of the damned this time, just whizzing straight back to earth.

Will clung desperately to the main mast, and almost lost it once, but was secured by a warm, strong body pressed up against him, an arm on each side, pushing him down hard. Will knew it was Jack. It couldn't be Barbossa. And no one but Jack could make his skin burn like that. No one.

Will wondered why this kept happening to him. Why couldn't he just watch after himself like everyone else? He just HAD to be saved and secured. Not that he minded his current position.

With a huge splash and a great jerk, they came to halt, all of them drenched in seawater that had sprayed to the skies when they'd smacked back down.

Everyone cheered from their places on the deck, not caring in the least that they had, once again, been jerked around and almost killed. They had just brought a man back from the dead, escaped something large and probably murderous, AND gotten their favorite captain back.

Jack and Will, however, stayed in their position, Will smashed between Jack and the main mast. Will could feel Jack's hot breath on his neck, and he could feel and hear Jack's every breath as his chest moved behind him. "Will..." Jack finally mumbled in Will's ear and Will shuddered.

How was he supposed to forget the man if he kept doing...THAT?

"Ahem."

Jack pulled off of Will slowly, keeping contact for as long as possible. Or so it seemed to Will. Will, in a daze, looked up with wide, confused eyes, to see Barbossa standing directly behind them.

"'Ello Barbossa, luv! Long time no see, eh?" Jack said, swaying in his usual drunken fashion, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all. Of course, that was Jack. Happy-go-lucky, nothings-wrong-in-my-world Jack. Will loved him for it.

Will, coming slightly more into focus, came up beside Jack and grinned at Hector lop-sidedly. "Hi." He said, sounding for all the world as if he were clinically insane.

'Jack...' Will thought, sighing mentally 'Jack...Elizabeth...Jack and Elizabeth...' Things started to come back to Will again. He was mad at Jack, wasn't he? He was trying to forget him, right? But oh, how could you forget that drunken gracefulness? The way his limbs moved languidly, his hips swaying back and forth as he walked. The way those sun-tanned hands gesticulated wildly, weather he was telling of a high-flying adventure, or of how many bottles of rum he'd had the previous night. How could you simply forget Jack Sparrow?

Jack grinned from beside Will and threw his arm over his shoulders, pulling Will's left side against his right. Will, once again, forgot everything and anything except for the feel of the man next to him. The warmth was delicious. How could a man who had so recently been dead, still radiate so much heat?

"So, Will! How's things been, eh? You and your bonnie lass all married and squared away?" Jack asked, sliding his hand along Will's shoulders. Will shivered.

Will decided that question deserved a response, so he took a breath and attempted to form a coherent sentence."I...Ummm...er..." So much for that.

Jack's grin widened, and he leaned in a bit closer to Will's face, his arm sliding down to wrap around his middle.

"Jack. I'd very much appreciate it if you would refrain from fondling my lover." Barbossa said and Jack's head snapped in his direction so fast, Will was certain it was going to do a full circle on his neck.

"Lover?!" Jack yelped, not letting go of Will still.

Will suddenly snapped back to earth. 'Oh shite...' he thought. 'Right. Hector. Elizabeth. Jack. Elizabeth and Jack.' It was funny how often those exact thoughts drifted through his mind. Will was suddenly angry. Indescribably angry. How DARE he?? How DARE he just slide back into his life, all grace and charm, making Will forget the new life he had built for himself with such simple touches?! How DARE he?!

Will's eyes narrowed, and he shoved Jack off, sending him almost toppling over. "Will?" Jack asked, slightly frightened by the fire he saw in the boy's eyes.

Will wanted to melt into the deck. The way Jack was looking at him, worried, and slightly hurt. But no. He couldn't do that. He was mad. Livid, even. So he did the only thing he could think of. Will strode right up to Jack, raised his fist, and punched him right smack on the jaw.

Jack went flying to the ground with the force of the punch, and he was sure his jaw was broken. That boy could REALLY pack a punch! "Shite! Will! What in all th' hells has gotten into you, mate?!" Jack asked, rubbing his jaw tenderly. It hurt when he spoke even.

Will just turned on his heel and stomped off into the Captain's quarters. Barbossa looked down at Jack with a satisfied smirk and walked back after Will, a slight bounce in his step. Well. As bouncy as a man like Barbossa could be. "Lads! Ye all have th' rest o' the night off!" He yelled behind him as he went and the crew all cheered.

"I think I now understand why all the whores in Tortuga enjoy slapping him so much. It's really very satisfying." Will said from his spot lounging on Hector's small bed. There was just a touch of humor to his voice, but mostly it was sad, hurt, and angry.

Hector walked over to the bed and sat at the end next to Will's head. Will sat up and grinned half-heartedly at him. "Will..." Hector said, reaching out and running his hand along Will's cheek. "Will, ye must talk to him. Ye have to explain yerself." Will's eyes widened.

"No! I am not-what if he-I'm not going to leave you!" Will sounded near hysterics, so Hector put his index finger over his lips to silence him.

"I don't want ye to leave me, Will. And I know ye won't. But ya DO need ter talk to him. Ye can't just knock a pirate on his arse, then walk away without explinin' yerself. S'not decent. And it won't go over well, believe you me." Hector took his finger off Will's lips and Will remained silent.

"And if Jack tries anythin'...untoward...just holler my name and I'll be there quick as a flash, alright?" Will nodded and Hector got up, offering his hand to help Will to his feet.

"Go on. I've given the crew the night off, so no one'll be on top." Hector motioned towards the door, and Will walked to it as slowly as possible. "Move, Will!" Hector snapped at him, pushing him roughly out the door and shutting it behind him.

Will huffed. "How rude..." he mumbled. He was becoming more and more of a woman every day. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was in a gay relationship, and was...well...for lack of a better word, the submissive one. Oh well. He didn't really want to think about it right now.

He found Jack pacing around the spot where Will had punched him, mumbling angrily to himself, and cursing under his breath.

When he got closer, he began to hear snippets of what Jack was saying.

"Stupid bloody..."

"Ungrateful, tha's what he is..."

"Should've left him to die..."

Will decided he'd heard enough and cleared his throat loudly. "Go away!" Jack snapped without even looking at Will, and Will sighed.

"Jack..." Will said and Jack spun around to face him, his eyes wide. "Jack, I-" He said, stepping closer. Jack threw up his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm not going to hit you, Jack." Will mumbled helplessly. How was he to start, even?

Jack didn't put his hands down. "Why'd you do it in th' first place, whelp?!" Jack asked, clearly angered.

"I-" Will REALLY didn't know how to say this. 'Well you see Jack. I'm in love with you. Desperately in love with you. I can't live without you, but you're a dirty scallywag that will have his way with anything on two legs. And you kissed Elizabeth. And I know I can't have you. So I just decided to punch you. It was very satisfying, by the way.' Yup. That would go over nicely.

"Well?! Spit it out! I haven't got all night, you know! Are ya mad because 'Lizabeth kissed me? Well let me tell you, I wanted NO part in that one!! She bloody chained me to th' mast, and let that dirty beastie swallow me whole! Along with me ship!" Jack practically yelled, and Will was about to say something, but it seemed Jack wasn't finished. "THEN I had to spend a bloody eternity in that god-forsaken chair, keeping th' judges occupied so I didn't turn into a lifeless black blob! And yer down here, screwing my mutinous first mate, and yet you're angry with ME, because YOUR FIANCÉ, kissed ME, and got ME killed?!" By now, Jack was pacing back and forth, throwing his hands up in the air exasperated. "Where's yer head, boy?? Wha-"

Will cut Jack off, but walking up to him, stopping his pacing with a hand on his shoulder, and capturing his lips in a heated and desperate kiss. Jack was too stunned to react, and Will took this opportunity to tangle his left hand in Jack's hair, wrapping his right around Jack's waist and pulling his body flush against his own.

Jack finally overcame his shock, and wrapped both arms around Will's waist, pushing past Will's lips with his tongue and tangling it with the hot, moist one inside Will's mouth.

Will suddenly yanked Jack's face away from his, pulling roughly on his hair and gasping for breath. "THAT, Jack Sparrow, is why I decked you. I love you. I'm IN love with you. I can't stop thinking about you, and it drives me insane that I can't have you."

"Well, obviously, you can have me." Jack said, grinding his hips against Will's for emphasis. Will laughed darkly.

"No, Jack. I don't want to be another notch on your belt. I don't want to have you while we're on the ship, then loose you to whores and fetching young men in port. I want you to have me, and only me." Will gripped Jack's hair tighter and Jack winced. "And I know you won't do that, Jack." He said, then leaned forward and pushed his lips roughly against Jack's for one last kiss. "I love you, Jack Sparrow. But the fact remains that you don't love me. You're probably incapable of love. So I'm not going to waste my time on you any longer." Will moved in as if to kiss him again, but only let his lips linger, barely touching Jack's, his hot breath ghosting over them and making Jack shiver. "Goodbye, Jack." He whispered, before disentangling their limbs and stalking off towards the Captain's quarters again.

Jack watched him go, even more confused than what he was. What the hell had just happened?! Jack watched as Will knocked on the cabin door, and it opened a crack. Some words were exchanged, and the door opened all the way to reveal Barbossa standing in the doorway. Will rushed forward and hugged him, burring his face in Barbossa's chest. He watched as Barbossa pulled Will inside, shutting, and probably locking, the door behind them.

Well this was odd. Jack thought as he plopped down onto a barrel and rested his chin on his hand. He ran over everything in his mind. 'Will, pressed against me. My arm around Will's waist. Barbossa telling me to keep my hands off his property. Will punched me. Pain. Lots of pain. Pacing. Will trying to talk. Yelling. Will's hot, sweet mouth pressed against mine. Hand tangled in my hair. Teeth clashing, tongues entwining. Will telling me he loves me. He could have me. Oh, no he couldn't. Him and only him. One last kiss. Will was gone. Will attacking Barbossa." Which led him to this, sitting on a barrel on the empty deck, the faint shouts and laughter from the crew below, and the ocean's spray on his face.

"Jack Sparrow, you lead one bazaar life..." He mumbled to himself, still slightly in awe at how much had transpired in the span of 1 hour. "Oh what to do, what to do." Jack mumbled to himself, kicking his feet slightly. That's it! The answer to all his problems! Rum! Jack hopped off the barrel and trudged below deck, grinning at the drunken chorus of "Captain!" he received when he entered.

Taking two mugs of rum and downing one right off, he plopped down next to Gibbs, who began to regale him with the entire story, from when they'd first left Jack, to when things started going on between Barbossa and Will, to when they had found Jack. Jack was thoroughly impressed with Will. Facing Davy Jones like that, a pistol to his skull. Not blinking an eyelash. And all to save him. Again. How many times would that boy risk his life for Jack's own?

"I love you, Jack Sparrow." The words echoed around in his head and he decided that he hadn't had NEARLY enough rum.

Two days out, Davy Jones caught up with them again. Their meeting was very brief, and considerably less hostile. By now, Davy Jones was completely human. He was young (probably in his late twenties), and he had a messy mass of blond hair atop his head. He was sightly muscular and tanner than any man had a right to be. His eyes, surprisingly enough, were crystal blue. He was, needless to say, considerably less frightening.

Elizabeth was brought back onto the ship briefly. "Jack!" She had cried, dashing up to him and kissing him square on the mouth. Her clothes were tattered, and she was dirtier than Will had ever seen her. He could only imagine how she smelled.

Will's eyes narrowed at her, but widened in surprise and delight when Jack pushed her off and punched her in the gut. "YOU GOT ME KILLED YOU DIRTY WENCH!!" Jack had screamed, and Elizabeth was immediately whisked back to the other ship.

"I take it ye DON'T want her back, then." Davvy Jones chuckled and Will grinned slightly evilly.

"Now. You have one month to get it back, Will. If I don't have it at sunset on the last day, I kill you all. Including Jack." He had said, then left, simply disappearing along with his ship. Again. The man was good at that.

"Oi!! OI JONES!!" Jack yelled, waving about madly. "HOW'S ABOUT A NICE LITTLE NUDGE TOWARDS PORT ROYALE, EH?? C'MON! BE A SPORT!" The last word wasn't even out of Jack's mouth before they were all jerked backwards and a mighty wind took the sails, whipping them along like they were being drawn on a string.

Will stood and took a tentative step forward. Ok. So far so good. At least there seemed to be no need for lifelines. If you ignored the wind rushing in your ears, it was almost hard to tell they were moving, actually.

"So, Will. How do ye expect ter get 'ole Davvy's heart back, eh?" Jack said, suddenly very close to Will. Will jumped and moved a safe distance away from him.

"Relax, Will. I don't bite. Unless yer into that, of course." Jack had the cocky grin on his face that Will loved so much, his gold and silver teeth flashing in the sunlight. Will subconsciously licked his lips and Jack's grin widened.

Jack sidled closer to Will, his grin turning to a full-out leer. Will just stood there, half wanting to let Jack do whatever he wanted to him, and half wanting to punch Jack in the face again.


End file.
